Lark Youth Championship Report

Harry Pynn - 11th April 2007

Stephen and Chris Videlo won the Lark Youth Championship at Waldringfield in a dramatic final race.

A strong contingent of local Cadet sailors provided stiff competition for the younger sailors from the lark circuit. The Videlos showed that they have graduated from the Cadet with flying colours, but it was a mistake from David Marlow and Emma Harris that handed them victory on a plate.

In race 1 Joe Hunt and Alan Krailing were quick out of the blocks closely followed by Spanni Archer and Fiona Gray. Hunt/Krailing led at the windward mark, but had not noticed the change of course and rounded the wrong way. On the run against the tide a three-way battle for the lead developed between James Hayward and Matt White, Marlow/Harris and the Videlos. Marlow/Harris chose to keep to the left hand bank down the run and this allowed them to establish a lead that they held until the finish.

The course for Race 2 was around the island at the end of the flood tide. Hayward/White led at the windward mark, but were overhauled by the Videlos and then Marlow/Harris. Behind them, Will Croxford and Kate Phillips pulled through to 4th place.

In race 3 the Videlos left themselves with a lot to do after the first beat, rounding the windward mark behind Hayward/White and Will Branton and Helen Hunt. By the end of the second lap Marlow/Harris had moved up to 1st place, but they missed out the upwind gate as they had come round the leeward mark on a big header. This left James Hayward and Matt White to take the race victory and the Videlos' 2nd place was enough to take the event overall.